


No Eleventh Hour Reprieve

by hedgewitchbuffy



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 07:55:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18824425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hedgewitchbuffy/pseuds/hedgewitchbuffy
Summary: When the iron witch casts a spell to make Wynonna Earp disappear, an alternate universe is created in which Wynonna never existed. In this reality, friends become enemies, and lovers are just friends. Everyone’s life is different, but one thing remains true: Nicole Haught is head over heels about Waverly Earp. This is the story of how Waverly and Nicole find each other, even in another world, and another life.





	No Eleventh Hour Reprieve

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I've had the idea for this fic since I watched the episode "Gone as a Girl Can Get" and I finally got around to writing it. There's a few things worth mentioning though, that differ from the episode. Doc doesn't remember anything for one. Nicole's also not married, and this spell is going to be harder to break than it was in the episode (because otherwise this wouldn't be a very long story).

Waverly sat cross-legged on her bed, hunched over her laptop and surrounded by papers and books, when she heard a knock on her door. She knew immediately who it was, of course. She lived in the little studio apartment above Shorty’s Saloon, and there were very few people who had a key to access the building before the bar opened.

“Can I come in?” said Perry, opening the door a crack and poking his head inside. Waverly laughed, setting aside her laptop and leaning back on her hands.

“Get in here,” Waverly said, a smile spreading across her face. Perry stepped inside immediately and closed the door behind him.

“I feel like I haven’t seen you all week,” he said. He sat down on the edge of the bed next to Waverly, and leaned over to press a kiss to Waverly’s lips.

“I know, I’m sorry,” said Waverly, her hands coming up to link behind Perry’s neck. “I’ve been so focused on my paper, and planning a wedding on top of that is pretty time consuming.”

“I know, you’re a busy woman Waverly Gibson. I just wish I got to see my fiancée more often.” Waverly rolled her eyes and smiled at him.

“It’s only been a few days Per.”

“Every minute I’m not with you is a minute too long.” Perry grinned at his fiancée before kissing her on the nose.

“You’re such a sap,” Waverly said, shaking her head as her smile widened.

“You love it,” Perry said. He glanced over to the bedside table then, and looking at the clock, he stood up. “Well, you probably need to get ready for work now, I just wanted to make sure I got to see you before you opened.”

“I guess I do,” Waverly said, reaching down to squeeze his hand before sliding off of the bed to stand next to Perry. “Thanks for stopping by.”

“Any time my love.” Perry said, stooping down to kiss Waverly one more time. She turned her head at the last moment so his lips found her cheek instead. Pulling back, he smiled at her before turning to head out the door.

After Perry left, Waverly turned back to the mess of research on her bed with a heavy sigh. She felt a bit guilty putting so much of her energy into this project when she should be spending time with the man she was engaged to, but she was just so excited to continue her education once she and Perry got out of Purgatory, and working on her research helped keep her busy until she could get into an actual classroom. After high school she took some history courses online, but between spending time with Perry, helping Gus and Curtis on the farm, and working at Shorty’s, she had difficulty making time for her schoolwork. Ultimately that meant her degree was put on hold for a while. Now though, Perry promised to help her get into a university so she could finally finish her history degree on a real campus instead of stuck in this town. Leaving Purgatory with him, and becoming the person she had always wanted to be instead of living in the shadow of her tragic past, sounded amazing.

“One more month,” Waverly whispered to herself in the quiet of her apartment. She collected her research into a neat stack on her desk, and then, after slipping into her Shorty’s t-shirt, headed downstairs.

-

“Sheriff Haught,” agent Dolls called from the room in the station now dedicated to Black Badge. Nicole sighed before pushing away from her desk and stepping out of her office.

“Yeah, Dolls?” Nicole said when she reached the room. She glanced over to the cage holding two women—the widows—that they had been able to capture recently. That was a tough case; they lost a lot of people before they could track the duo down.

“Take a look at this. Lonnie just handed this to me,” Dolls said, nodding to the deputy in the other room. “A few kids found another girl on the outskirts of town—”

“Parts of her, at least,” Jeremy corrected. Dolls turned to look at him, his brows drawn together. “Sorry. I’ll uh, just get back to this,” he said as he held up a beaker he was holding in one hand and a test tube he held in the other. Dolls turned back to face Nicole again.

“ _Parts_ of a girl were found on the edge of town. There were bite marks on what was left of her.” Dolls said.

“God, why are so many of these things cannibals?” Nicole asked.

“Hell just messes them up I guess,” Dolls replied, shrugging. “Anyway, I’m heading over there to check out the scene in a few minutes, you should tag along.”

“Can we wait a little bit?” Nicole asked, glancing at her watch.

“Ah, it’s Monday, isn’t it?” Jeremy said, waggling his eyebrows at Nicole. Dolls looked past Nicole at the clock on the wall. 11:56am.

“Alright,” Dolls sighed. Waverly brought Nicole lunch every Monday at noon, and he knew better than to make Nicole miss their meeting. “But eat fast, Haught.”

“Of course,” Nicole said, smiling and nodding. “I’ll see you in a few.” She nearly ran back to her office. Dolls smirked, shaking his head before turning back to his work.

As quickly as she could, Nicole straightened the papers on her desk and fluffed the pillows on the couch in the corner of her office. She then turned to the small mirror hanging on the wall, standing on her toes to see her shirt. She smoothed her hands over the creases she saw in her uniform, and had just finished reapplying her lipstick when she heard footsteps coming from down the hall. She sat down at her desk, trying to look casual, when she saw Waverly Gibson turn the corner and step through the door to her office. Nicole couldn’t help but watch the sway of her hips as she walked, couldn’t help but trace her eyes over the tempting strip of exposed skin beneath her Shorty’s t-shirt. She couldn’t help but admire Waverly, the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

“Waverly, hi,” Nicole said, leaning back in her seat and staring up at the woman in front of her, an awed smile on her face. Waverly smiled back, and Nicole’s heart fluttered in her chest.

“Your usual, chicken salad—but I added a side of pickles. Do you like pickles?” said Waverly, handing the takeout box to Nicole.

“Oh…love ‘em,” said Nicole. She was sure her face gave her away; she couldn’t lie to Waverly, even if it was just about whether or not she liked a certain type food. Waverly didn’t seem to notice, though. She didn’t notice a lot of things she should be able to notice when it came to Nicole.

“Oh, great. Food’s not moving like it used to, so we’re pits deep in ‘em.” Waverly said, grimacing a little. “Oh, by the way, I keep forgetting to ask, are you coming to my bridal shower next week?”

“Right, yeah, that. Definitely. Wouldn’t miss it,” Nicole replied, putting on her best smile despite the sinking feeling she felt at the mention of Waverly’s wedding. The smile Waverly gave her in return was genuine, and she leaned down to wrap her arms around Nicole, pulling the sheriff into a hug.

“That makes me so happy to hear!” Waverly pulled back, and then sat down on the edge of Nicole’s desk. “You know, I’ve never had a ton of girlfriends, and getting closer to you these past weeks has meant the world to me.”

“I’ve liked it too,” Nicole replied, trying to ignore the fact that Waverly just called them girlfriends, even if she didn’t mean what Nicole wanted her to mean. “You’re a great friend, Waverly.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet,” Waverly said. “Hey, do you know what you’re gonna wear to the shower?”

“Um, not off the top of my head, no.”

“Well, if you aren’t busy, Chrissy and I are going dress shopping tomorrow, you should come,” Waverly said, her eyes flicking over to sheriff Nedley’s photo where it hung on the wall of Nicole’s office. The old sheriff, Chrissy’s father, had passed away fairly recently, and Waverly couldn’t help but take note of the fact that they were sitting in his office.

“I’ll be there,” Nicole replied.

“Awesome! I’ll pick you up at around four-thirty. You’re off by then, right?”

“I can be.”

“Perfect. It’s a date,” Waverly said, winking at Nicole before standing up. Nicole’s heart nearly beat out of her chest. “Well I’d better get back to Shorty’s, but I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“See you, Waverly.” Nicole waved at the girl as she walked out of her office, before sinking further down into her chair, staring up at her ceiling. _She doesn’t mean anything by it_ , Nicole thought to herself. Waverly Gibson was going to be the death of her.

“You should eat that in the car, we’re burning daylight here,” Dolls said, startling Nicole out of her thoughts. When she looked at him, he was pointing at the takeout box in front of her.

“Alright agent,” Nicole said as she stood up, grabbing her food and heading out toward Dolls’ car with him. “Hey, do you like pickles?”

-

“You’re a masochist, Haught, I swear,” Jeremy said as he, Dolls, and Nicole stepped into Shorty’s. It had become a habit of theirs to go out for drinks together after a rough day at work, and Nicole felt that having to pick through the remains of a dead girl counted as rough. Especially considering they didn’t even find much of anything to help them by doing it.

“Yeah, yeah. Just go find us a table, I’ll get us all drinks,” Nicole said, having already spotted Waverly where she stood behind the bar. She started to walk over to her, not sparing a glance at the two men she’d arrived with.

“Seriously, I don’t know how she handles it, watching Waverly and Perry together, just pretending she’s not head over heels for her all day,” Jeremy said as he and Dolls sat down at an empty table by the window. Dolls swiped his hand across the table, brushing crumbs off the edge.

“I would think it’s better to see her with someone else than to not see her at all,” Dolls said, folding his arms on the table. He and Jeremy turned to watch Nicole, who was happily chatting with Waverly as she poured out three beers.

“The rest of your day wasn’t so great after I left, I take it?” Waverly said, glancing over at Nicole before looking back at the glass she was filling up.

“My day’s never as quite as good when you have to go,” Nicole said. Waverly turned to smile at her, not picking up on Nicole’s blatant flirting. “Anyway, yeah, rough day.”

“I’m sorry Nicole, I hope it gets better,” Waverly said, putting the third pint of beer on a tray. Instead of picking it up though, she first reached across the bar to squeeze Nicole’s hand. Nicole’s cheeks colored a bit, and she cleared her throat.

“It uh, it already is.” Nicole smiled at Waverly before dropping her gaze, suddenly overcome with nerves. Waverly smiled back before pulling her hand away and picking up the tray of drinks to walk over to Nicole’s table.

“Here you guys go,” said Waverly as Nicole took her seat next to Jeremy. She set the tray down on the edge of the table so the three of them could pick up their drinks and then tucked it underneath one arm. “Let me know if you need anything else.” Waverly squeezed Nicole’s shoulder before turning to leave.

“So,” Dolls said after Waverly was no longer within earshot. “I’ve been thinking about where the next place we could search for Wyatt Earp’s gun might be, and—”

“Dolls, we’re out having drinks together! No work talk, please!” Jeremy whined. Dolls and Nicole both chuckled.

“Alright Jeremy, but only because I don’t actually have much to say. There’s just too much we don’t know,” Dolls said before shrugging. Jeremy sighed in relief.

“Seems like we’re fresh out of leads,” Nicole said.

“We’ll find something,” said Dolls as he put his arm over the back of the empty chair next to him and glanced around the bar. “We have to. According to the Black Badge files, that gun is the only thing that can actually put down one of the demons. Without it we’re wasting our time here.” Dolls took a long drink of his beer.

“Guys, what did we just decide we weren’t going to do?” Jeremy asked, his head in his hands.

“Sorry Jeremy,” Nicole smiled at him, bumping their shoulders together. “Won’t happen again.” She stuck out her pinky for him, and he reached up to link his pinky with hers.

“I’ll do my best,” Dolls said, raising his glass before bringing it to his lips. He froze just before he took a drink though, his whole body tensing and his eyes locked on the door. Around them, the bar went quiet. Nicole turned around, her hand already resting on her gun where it sat on her hip.

“Doc Holliday,” Nicole growled under her breath. He had a lot of nerve showing his face in this bar. Doc Holliday was the reason Purgatory had gone to hell; they just couldn’t prove it quite yet, not in a way that didn’t involve claiming demons were real on a police report.

“Now hold on everyone, there’s no need to be alarmed,” Doc said, holding up his hands. He slowly stepped further into the building, followed by ten of his men. Demons—Nicole would bet her life on it. “Waverly Earp, so lovely to see you,” Doc said, leaning across the bar. Waverly stood her ground, but Nicole could see how tense she was, and saw her weight shift backwards onto her heels as Doc entered her personal space.

“It’s Gibson.” Waverly said, holding Doc’s gaze. Nicole smiled—Waverly sure was tough.

“Ah, of course, how could I forget.” Doc said, his tone suggesting he hadn’t forgotten. “Well, miss _Gibson_ , I’m looking for something, and I was hoping you might help me find it.” When Waverly didn’t respond, he continued. “You see, I’ve lost my ring, and I thought maybe you’d have seen it. It’s very important to me, like this ring is important to you,” Doc reached forward and picked up Waverly’s left hand, his thumb dragging across her engagement ring and across her knuckles. Nicole immediately shot up from her seat, the wood legs scraping loudly against the floor and disturbing the still silence in the room.

“Get your hands off of her, Holliday,” Nicole warned. Her grip on her gun tightened. Doc slowly turned toward her, and then released Waverly’s hand, putting his own hands up in surrender. Waverly pulled her hand into herself as soon as it was free.

“My apologies sheriff Haught, I only meant to ask the lady a question,” Doc said, smirking beneath his mustache.

“Yeah, well you’ve said your piece now, Henry,” said Nicole. “There’s no reason to linger.”

“You’re quite right, sheriff.” Doc stepped away from the bar. “If anyone finds my ring, and brings it to me, you will be handsomely rewarded,” he said more loudly, now addressing the entire room.

“I don’t have your ring, Henry,” Waverly said, still holding her left hand to her chest.

“Well, I had to ask. You can never be too sure when there is an Earp involved.” Waverly glared at him.

“Holliday,” Nicole said, her tone stern. Doc nodded.

“Alright, I can see I’m not welcome here,” he said, looking around the room. “So I’ll just be on my way. Sheriff,” Doc tipped his hat at Nicole as he walked past her, and then he left. There was a moment after the door closed behind him when no one in the room broke the silence, but then Champ Hardy shrugged and continued playing pool, the crack of the billiard balls slamming together enough to snap everyone out of their trance. With that, Nicole strode over to the bar.

“Waverly, are you alright?” Nicole asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Waverly said, smiling weakly and setting her hand back down on the bar. Nicole reached over to squeeze it, as Waverly had done for her earlier.

“That was impressive, the way you stood your ground like that. You’re pretty tough.” Waverly looked up to meet Nicole’s gaze, and smiled at her in a way that made Nicole’s heart race. Sometimes Nicole could swear Waverly felt the same thing Nicole felt, when she gave her that look with the hooded eyes and the soft smile.

“Thank you,” Waverly said, twisting her hand to link her fingers with Nicole’s. “Really, thank you. For helping, I mean.”

“Any time.” Nicole smiled at Waverly, and then the moment was broken by the sound of Dolls’ voice behind her.

“Haught, we should get back to the station,” he said. Waverly pulled her hand away from Nicole’s and grabbed a rag to wipe down the counter as Nicole turned to face Dolls.

“Coming,” Nicole said. She turned back to look at Waverly again. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Waverly.” Waverly nodded, smiling at her as she walked over to Dolls and Jeremy, who were waiting for her by the door.

“That was super weird,” said Jeremy.

“Exactly my thinking,” said Dolls as he held the door open for Jeremy and Nicole. “We need to find out what’s so special about that ring.”


End file.
